Don't ignore value of dunes

Does $375,000 sound about right? According to a state court decision, that sum is what Harvey Cedars owes Harvey and Phyllis Karan for putting a sand dune in front of their beachfront home.

Never mind that it was the very same 22-foot pile of sand that helped save their property from the same fate that so many Jersey Shore homes suffered in the wake of superstorm Sandy.

If beach replenishment requires compensation to property owners whose property is taken, then the courts should rule that the protection the dunes provide from storms is compensation enough. Any reasonable beachfront property owner should accept the fact that the government should be able to take responsible actions to protect the beach, which adds value to the properties.

The Karans' case has been appealed to the state Supreme Court. A similar battle is brewing in Long Beach Township, although that case will be heard in the federal courts.

Obviously, some clarity is needed on this issue, before every beachfront property owner on a barrier island lines up with his or hand out to cash in on the taxpayers' dime.

Losing the pending appeals in the state and federal courts could have a devastating impact on the ability of towns to protect their beaches and property owners from storms. If you multiply the award granted to the Karans by the number of residents who refuse to sign an easement, towns are looking at tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

During the state Superior Court trial last year, an expert for the town said the Karans should be compensated just $300 because they benefited from the project. The Karans' expert testified that the 22-foot dune significantly blocked their view of the ocean, and reduced the value of their property by $500,000, to about $1.4 million. Their home is currently assessed at $1.7 million, according to tax records.

Judge E. David Millard "concluded that construction of the dune did not confer a special benefit" to the Karans. The reason: the $25 million dune project was built to protect all property in Harvey Cedars, not just the Karans.' Both figures - the $300 and the $375,000 - are excessive.

Long Beach Mayor Joseph Mancini is considering a different tactic. For those oceanfront homeowners who haven't signed easements to allow for beach replenishment projects on their property, Mancini says a two-year-old ordinance will require holdouts to pay tens of thousands of dollars to have an engineer design and build the dunes with the township's approval before they can get a permit to rebuild their homes. This "get-tough" attitude sounds good, but it is ultimately impractical and fraught with the possibilities for more protracted court battles at taxpayers' expense.

We hope the state Supreme Court and the federal court provide some common sense to this issue, and make it clear that the protection offered by the dunes trumps mere aesthetics.

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Don't ignore value of dunes

How much is an ocean view worth? Does $375,000 sound about right? According to a state court decision, that sum is what Harvey Cedars owes Harvey and Phyllis Karan for putting a sand dune in front of

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